Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 2020 has been one for the books and I think most can agree they are ready to leave it behind. Despite the tremulous times, we can still look forward to an annual tradition- The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! I thought it would be neat to explore the different Disney balloons/floats throughout the 94 years. I actually learned quite a bit. I kind of just expected for Mickey to be in every parade; but, he has only been featured 20 times! I also did not realize that the same float was used year after year until it is “retired” for a new one. Let’s dive on in for Disney’s Macy Thanksgiving Day Parade appearances:

Balloons

Mickey Mouse-

Mickey made his first appearance in 1934-1935, followed by 1971-1983 (Mickey and Donald floated down 34th street together in 1972), 2000 and finally in 2009-2012. What a difference (thankfully) between his first and final appearance! 

Donald Duck-

Donald made a terrifying arrival in the 1935 parade, and then had a run between 1962-1972 (Mickey and Donald floated down 34th street together in 1972), with his final appearance back in 1984. 

Kermit the Frog-

Kermit was first featured in the parade back in 1977, but at the time he was not own by Disney. The Disney balloon debuted in 2004 and then ran from 2007-2012.

 

Spider Man- 

New York’s very own Friendly Neighborhood Spider Man has a similar history to Kermit. He has made a few appearances but it wasn’t until 2009-2014 that he was sponsored by Marvel, aka Disney. 

 

Goofy-

Poor ole Goof has only made ONE appearance back in 1992. Here’s hoping he will be back soon! 

 

Chicken Little-

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!! Nope, it’s just the adorable Chicken Little flying high from 2004-2005. 

 

JoJo’s Circus-

JoJo from the Disney Channel’s Playhouse Disney show, JoJo’s Circus, floated over happy preschoolers from 2005-2007. 

 

Buzz Lightyear-

To 34th Street and beyond! Our favorite Space Ranger soared high from 2008-2013. 

 

Olaf-

The lovable and optimistic snowman was the last Disney balloon to run from 2017-2019. 

 

Falloons

Falloons??? Full disclosure, if you google “Falloon definition”, you are going to end up with some sketchy meanings! But have no fear, I have found the definition for you- a falloon is the term used for Macy’s float based balloons. Disney has only been featured on two falloons- in A Bugs Life “P.T. Flea’s Circus” featuring Heimlich the Caterpillar and Bolt featuring Mittens and Rhino. 

 

Floats

Floats present a great way for characters, celebrities, and performers to come together. 

Mickey’s 40th Birthday Celebration-

The giant cake float featured in 1969, carried some of Disney’s most popular characters; Pinocchio, Snow White, Dopey, Happy, Goofy, the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf, but the star of the float was the birthday boy himself, Mickey Mouse! 

Circus Wagon-

Disney’s Circus Wagon made it’s debut in 1969 and ran until 1976. Over it’s eight year run, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Dumbo, Baloo, and King Louie appeared on the wagon. I was unfortunately unable to find a picture. 

Captain Hook’s Pirate Ship-

The Jolly Polly Pirate Ship debuted in 1969 as Captain Hook’s Pirate Ship. Featuring Captain Hook, Peter Pan, Wendy, and Tinkerbell; the float stood at 40 feet tall and was decorated with a plank, smoking cannon, masts and a giant skull at the helm. It ran as Disney’s float until 1976. 

 

The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf-

The classic characters and their three houses ran from 1969-1971. (These were some very busy years for Disney Floats!)

The Aristocats-

The adorable felines had their own float in 1970 in celebration of the film’s release. 

Walt Disney World-

For nine years, from 1971-1980, Disney’s Castle brought fairy tales to life. Flora, Fauna, Merryweather (from Sleeping Beauty) as well as the County Bears, The Rescuers, and characters from Robin Hood were featured on the float. 

Walt Disney World’s Tencennial (1981) and Disney’s Celebration (1984-1985)-

I was unable to find clear pictures of the two floats. the Tencennial float looked like a miniature river boat while the Disney Celebration was a tiny replica of Cinderella castle for Disneyland’s 30th anniversary. This is a tad confusing to me since it is Aurora’s castle that is featured in Disneyland, but I guess they did not worry about that tiny detail. 

Ship of Dreams-

Disney made it’s last float appearance in 2005 with the Ship of Dreams, representative of Disneyland’s 50th anniversary. 

 

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2020

Disney did not make an appearance in today’s parade, but will hopefully be back next year! 

 

What did you think about the history of Disney in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? Were you surprised by the amount of times they have been featured in the parade? Or were you equally freaked about by the original Donald Duck balloon?! Share your thoughts in the comment section. As always, we would love to hear from you! Until then, Sarah and I wish everyone a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving. ❤️

 

I would like to give a big shout out to macysthanksgiving.fandom.com for all of the great information and pictures. You can visit the site for more information about other balloons, falloons, and floats throughout it’s 94 year history!